1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for preparing a photographic processing control tool, and particularly to a method for preparing a photographic processing control tool which is suitable for use in setting of an exposure condition and in checking the development properties of an automatic printer or a printer processor having the function of automatically controlling an exposure amount and printing an image of a photographic film, which is a silver salt photographic recording medium, onto a photographic printing paper which is a silver salt photographic recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in an automatic printer (or a printer processor having a function of development processing) in which an image recorded on a color negative film is printed onto a color photographic printing paper so that a positive image is obtained, the amount of exposure of light for printing is controlled on the basis of the following formula (1): EQU log Fi=Ki+Di (1)
where Fi is an amount of exposure of light for printing, Ki is a constant determined from combination of the automatic printer with a photographic printing paper, Di is the light accumulated transmission density (LATD) of a negative image, and i is any of R(red), G(green) and B(blue) light.
In order to constantly obtain a color print of good quality by using the automatic printer, it is necessary to effect development processing properly and to set an exposure condition of the automatic printer correctly. The automatic printer has a function (i.e., slope control function) of correcting its processing operations so that density and color balance of a finished print become identical with each other irrespective of the density of a negative film (under-exposure, normal-exposure, and over-exposure negatives). In order to adjust the slope control function to set the exposure condition, a so-called Bull's-eye which is a kind of control negative is generally used. The Bull's-eye is prepared in such a manner that a portion corresponding to a negative with a gray-colored subject photographed thereon and a portion corresponding to a negative with a yellowish green-colored subject photographed thereon around the portion corresponding to the negative of the gray-colored subject photographed are exposed.
In the Bull's-eye, a portion corresponding to a circular gray-colored subject is simply formed in a central portion thereof. As a result, there is a problem in that the relationship between that subject and subjects to be printed is not clear.
In order to solve this problem, there is disclosed, in JP-A-5-506733, a method for preparing a control tool of a second-generation camera original using a digitally-prepared transparency photograph which shows an actual scene. In this method, a preselected scene and a first image including a subject are photographed on a first photographic recording medium and a second image indicating photographic processing control information is photographed on a second photographic recording medium. Next, the first image is converted into a first numerical image and the second image is converted into a second numerical image. These numerical images are recorded on a primary digital image data metric in a digital image data base. Subsequently, composite digital image data is prepared by digitally inserting the second numerical image in the first numerical image and at least one parameter of the composite image is selectively adjusted. Further, the composite image is recorded on the photographic recording medium digitally by using a digital output recording medium, the composite image recorded on the photographic recording medium is photographed, the composite image photograph thus obtained is subjected to development processing, and a control tool is thereby obtained.
However, in the above-described prior art method, after the second image representing photographic processing control information has been photographed by a camera, it is photo-numerically converted into a numerical image. Accordingly, two processes for photographing and numeric representation are needed and the time and process involved in preparation of the tool is thereby increased.
Further, since the automatic printer or printer processor has a function of photometrically measuring the negative image to automatically control an amount of exposure, different subjects have different amounts of exposure. Accordingly, the density of photographic processing control information of the prepared print varies in accordance with a change of the subject. However, in the prior art, at least one parameter of the composite image is selectively adjusted and the image of the subject and the photographic processing control information are adjusted at the same time. As a result, when adjustment is made depending on the subject, adjustment of the subject image affects the photographic processing control information on the print, and when adjustment is made depending on the photographic processing control information, adjustment of the photographic processing control information affects the subject image on the print. Accordingly, there exists a problem in that concurrent adjustment of the subject and the photographic processing control information by the parameter leads to much time and process involved in preparation of the tool.
The present invention has been devised to overcome the above-described problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for preparing a photographic processing control tool which allows preparation of a photographic processing control tool by using a simple structure without requiring any time and trouble.